More Than a Summer Fling
by LinChungIsHot
Summary: You thought that Tsukasa Doumyoji was the one for you. But as summer draws to a close, you realize that you're in love with another boy, and it's not who you expect.
1. The Meeting

LCIH: Taken off of my account on lunaescence (under the author name of **Ruby Spice**). If you see it anywhere else, someone has plagerized it. Please don't copy my work, or anyone else's, for that matter. It's ridiculous and cowardly and so damn _low. _

LCIH: So don't do it.

LCIH: Anyways, on a different note, this is part of AnonymousSong's "10 Summer Events" challenge. So I hope you enjoy this and plan to read the next chapters~! Enjoy! And I don't own Hana Yori Dango or the readers.

* * *

"I can't believe you're staying here for the summer!" Your friend Maiko was smiling widely as she threw her arm around your shoulder and hugged you. "I never actually thought that I would see you until school started!"

"I know, it's wonderful, isn't it?" you replied. "I'm staying just down the block, right by the beach."

"We can hang out so much together!"

It was the first week of summer vacation. School had just ended, and your family had decided to stay at the summer beach house you owned. It was beautiful, with a plain view of the ocean in the back and the cool, salty breeze was always blowing. Plus, Maiko happened to live here and now you could spend time with your best friend.

At the moment, the two of you were walking to the boardwalk for some shopping. You needed a new bikini, anyway. Your old one was faded and too tight. "Are there any good stores here?" you asked.

Maiko nodded. She had her arm linked to yours', the familiar middle-school gestured bringing back school memories. "Yeah, there are great stores. Actually, I know this one filled with the cutest bikinis…oh! And then there's the Shoe Central, which I've wanted to go there because I saw the cutest stilettos…"

You laughed. "I can't believe you can wear those," you commented, referring to stilettos. "They hurt my feet. I prefer flats and flip-flops!" Hence the cute red flats you wore at the moment.

She caught your eye, smiling. "One of these days, remind me, I'm going to teach you how to walk around in heels like they are flats!"

You both giggled and began talking about accessories. Finally, you arrived at the boardwalk. It was streaming with people—love-struck couples, smiling families, trendy-dressed teenagers, quiet elders, friends. Along either side of the boardwalk were stores displaying all different sorts of things, including toys, clothes, footwear, beach items.

Maiko looked around, scanning the stores for a particular one. A few people waved at her, and she waved back. "There's the one," she finally said, and headed off in that direction.

You followed her. As you neared the clothing sore, you noticed a group of boys hanging around the front. They were all gorgeous, pretty-looking guys around your age. There were four of them—a blonde, a brunette, and two black-brown haired. When you and Maiko neared the group, one of the males looked up and grinned. "Hey, Maiko."

"Nishikado-san," she replied, smiling. "How are you?"

"Good, thanks." He then slid his eyes over to you. Interest flared behind his irises and he sauntered up towards you. "Wow, aren't you pretty. I haven't seen you before."

"You a friend of Maiko's?" asked the blonde. He had shoulder-length fair hair.

You nodded. "My name's (First Name) (Last Name)."

"Nice to meet you," said the first one who'd spoken, Nishikado-san. "I'm Soujiro."

"Akira Mimasaka," said the blonde.

Nishikado pointed to the mute brunette. He had blue eyes like marbles, and he was standing off to the side, dressed very neatly in a moss-green sweater and jeans. "That's Rui Hanazawa. Sorry, he can get pretty sleepy and then he'll be all quiet." Hanazawa just raised his eyes.

You noticed the last guy, leaning against the window glass of the store. He was the tallest of the group, and he stood with his arms crossed over his Nike T-shirt, which showed his broad chest. His hair was funny; it was all curly on the top. "Who's that?"

"Him? Oh, that's Tsukasa Doumyoji," explained Nishikado.

Doumyoji glanced disinterestedly at you. His eyes caught yours', and for a second, you found yourself lost in his gaze. Then he said, "Have you heard of me?"

"You? Um, no…are you famous?"

"You've never heard of the Doumyoji Enterprises? God, you must be out of it, then," he said, returning to stare past you.

You were a little confused, but Mimasaka waved it off. "Sorry, sometimes all Tsukasa thinks about is himself. So," he said, "do you go to school here, (Name)?"

"She's at the same school as me," Maiko answered, smiling at Mimasaka. She turned to you. "(Name), these guys go to Eitoku."

"Oh, that school filled with rich and snobby kids?" you scoffed. "I've heard of it."

"Hey, come on, we're not that bad," Nishikado said. "We're actually pretty good-looking."

"They're known as F4," Maiko continued.

Now you'd actually heard about the F4 before. You'd heard stories about the four delicious guys. They could be pretty cold. "Ah."

Something must've shown on your face, because Mimasaka said, "We're not like that anymore. We're all pretty easy-going. You just have to watch out for Tsukasa." He hooked his thumb at the said boy, who just rolled his eyes.

Maiko clutched your arm. She was eyeing a sundress in the display of the shop. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, Mimasaka-san, but we came here for some shopping…"

"Oh, that's okay. We were on our way to the café." Nishikado then brightened and said, "Maybe you can join us later!"

Maiko looked like she loved the idea and you thought it wasn't half-bad, but it was Doumyoji who spoke, "We can't have two irritating girls following us around." He pushed off from the wall and began walking away. "Let's go."

Then he stopped and turned around, staring at you from half-lidded eyes. "Maybe you should go home and search up my name. Then you'll see how important I am." And with that, he was turned around and striding towards the café.

Nishikado chuckled. "Sometimes he gets steamed that not everyone knows who he is. All right, then, it was a pleasure seeing you again, Maiko, and it's great meeting you, (Name)." He walked after Doumyoji.

Mimasaka nodded pleasantly. "Have a nice day, you two."

He went after the other two and soon it was just you, Maiko, and Hanazawa. The brunette yawned sleepily and rubbed his eyes with his fist, looking around. He then went to move past you, but as he did, he murmured, "I hope I see you around."

Then he, too, was gone.

You watched the four walk away. Then you said, "They aren't that bad, the F4…but that Doumyoji guy is annoying."

"I meet them just a few weeks ago. They are so interesting!" laughed Maiko. She then tugged you inside the store. "Okay, time to shop!"

You allowed yourself to be pulled into the shop.


	2. Picnic

"It's hot today, isn't it, (Name)?" asked your mother as she sank into the plush couch. To further express her point, she was waving her hand in front of her face, trying to produce some cool air.

You nodded. "Mm-hmm." Earlier you'd been wearing a comfortable T-shirt and shorts, but then you had changed into a white tank top and cut-off jean shorts. Your hair was gathered into a messy bun, with a few tendrils framing your face, instead of in its usual ponytail. It was too hot for just a simple ponytail.

"But it's the perfect weather for a picnic under the shade," Mother commented. You had to agree with that. A nice picnic, with perfect slices of watermelon and tall glasses of ice-cold lemonade…

Ding-dong! The doorbell rang. Mother shot you a questioning look. "Are you expecting anyone?" she asked, standing up.

You stood up as well. "Here, I'll get it," you said.

When you pulled open the door, you were surprised to see two guys, whom of which you'd just recently met just the other day.

Soujiro Nishikado grinned at you. Behind him stood Tsukasa Doumyoji. "Hey! (Name)!" greeted Nishikado.

"Nishikado-san. And Doumyoji-san, too. What brings you here?" you asked.

"We were just on our way to a picnic," he said, "and I thought maybe you'd like to join us. Maiko's already there, waiting with Akira and Rui. You want to come with?"

It was strange; just a few minutes ago, you and Mother had been talking about how it was perfect weather for a picnic. And now here were two members of the F4, asking you to join them for a picnic. You couldn't really refuse. "I'd love to," you said. "If you don't mind."

"Of course we mind," Doumyoji cut in. "You'd just be a nuisance."

You glared at him. "Oh, I'm sorry I annoy you so much," you replied.

Nishikado ignored the banter and grabbed your arm, pulling you to his side. "All right, then, let's go! We can't keep Rui waiting. He'll eat all the food." He set off, pulling you along, Doumyoji trailing behind you.

When the three of you arrived at the picnic, you were relieved to see that the blanket had been spread out underneath a big, leafy tree. It provided lots of shade. Mimasaka was sitting there, talking to Maiko. Hanazawa was leaning against the trunk of the tree, his eyes closed; you thought he was sleeping but as you approached, he opened his eyes and looked at you. Was that a smile on his face?

"(Name)! You came!" Maiko exclaimed as you sat down next to her.

"Well, it's a nice day for a picnic, and besides, I'm hungry," you said.

Mimasaka nodded, reaching for the big brown basket. "Good timing. I'm starved. We all are."

"What took so long?" inquired Hanazawa, blinking his eyes blearily.

"It's Soujiro's fault," Doumyoji said. "He didn't know where her house was."

"Hey, I found it, didn't I?" the accused male said defensively, raising his hands up. "That's the important thing."

You glanced around quietly, half-listening to their quarrel. The grass was cool under your thighs and legs; it was nice and soft. You noticed a violin case leaning against the tree, at Hanazawa's side. Does he play, you questioned to yourself.

Mimasaka had pulled out lunch. It consisted of hand-made sandwiches—turkey, chicken, PBJ, cheese—cookies, freshly-picked strawberries, an apple pie, a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade, plastic cups, and two small bottles of vodka. You raised your eyebrows when he pulled out the vodka. "Really? At a picnic?" you asked.

He shrugged, handing one bottle to Nishikado. "I like vodka," he said.

"It's good," Nishikado agreed, popping off the top. He raised it to his lips and took a swig. "You drink it, (Name)? You could share with me."

The wicked gleam in his eyes made you a little nervous. You shook your head. "No, I'll settle for the lemonade." You took a cup and poured yourself a glass.

As the group dissolved into relaxed conversations, you leaned back on your elbows, finishing your lunch. You'd eaten a chicken sandwich, a mouth-watering chocolate chip cookie, and a small slice of pie and now you were stuffed and content. It wasn't everyday that you had pie with a chicken sandwich, but the odd combination tasted wonderful.

Now as you sipped your glass of lemonade, you tuned out of their conversations and let your eyes drift. Maiko seemed to be happy. She was talking to Nishikado about some local club that he attended. Mimasaka was there in the discussion, too. Hanazawa and Doumyoji were talking about some sport.

Your eyes wandered over to Doumyoji. He really was good-looking. But he seemed…cold. And always aggravated, for some reason. Like the littlest thing would set him off. Doumyoji looked cute in his red-and-white striped shirt and blue jeans. And his hair was so funny…

As if he could feel your eyes on him, he turned and looked at you. "What?" he asked. "Am I that interesting to you?"

You felt your cheeks warm up. "Shut up," you replied. "You're so full of yourself."

He smirked. You didn't like his smug little smirk, so you looked away and again found yourself wondering about the violin that lay by Hanazawa.

"Do you play?" you asked.

"Hmm?" Hanazawa looked confused for a moment. When he realized that you were referring to the violin, he nodded, a soft smile gracing his beautiful lips. "Yeah. It's just a thing that I do whenever I get the time."

"You play the violin?" You were impressed. "Wow, I've never really met a guy who played violin."

"I play the piano," offered Doumyoji, not wanting to be outdone.

"Yeah, but you quit when you were eight," Nishikado retorted.

"I remember that. You hacked the piano into pieces with a saw," Mimasaka added, chuckling.

But you paid him no attention. All of your attention was directed at Hanazawa. "Oh, Hanazawa Rui. Can you play a song for me?"

He looked a little embarrassed but everyone else (with the exception of Doumyoji) liked the idea and encouraged him on. "Yeah! It would be so cool!" gushed Maiko.

There was no way Hanazawa could refuse all of them, so he shrugged his shoulders. "Su-sure, if it's just one song." He reached for the violin case and opened it, brandishing an expensive-looking violin and its bow.

Then he began to play.

For a moment, you sat quietly, just listening to the tune. Hanazawa was good. He was amazing. The song he played sounded perfect. It was soft, eerie, and haunting. You'd heard it somewhere and after a few measures you were humming under your breath. Heck with it, you thought, and you opened your mouth, your eyes closed, as you began to sing softly along.

Doumyoji sat, captivated by your voice. The combination of Hanazawa's skilled violin playing and your spell-casting voice was a powerful duet. It was actually beautiful. He studied you as you sang, oblivious to his gaze, off in your own little world.

Hanazawa played the last note, and you held it out, your voice gradually fading until it had ceased. Complete silence filled the space between the group. You opened your eyes and glanced around.

Then Nishikado, Mimasaka, and Maiko erupted into applause. They hooted and gave your compliments. "Damn, (Name)," Mimasaka said as he gave you a dazzling smile, "you can really sing!"

You smiled back at him. From the corner of your eye, you looked to catch Doumyoji's expression, but his face was carefully blank and he turned his head away from you. Ignoring that, you instead faced Hanazawa. "You play wonderfully," you said, grazing the violin with your fingertips.

"Thanks. And you sing beautifully," he replied, smiling a little. "Maybe you and I should do a duet together."

"Maybe," you echoed, smiling.


	3. Lemonade Stand

You were walking through the city, looking around aimlessly. It was a warm, summer evening. Maiko had gone fishing with her family in a nearby village. So you were wandering around alone. You'd been sight-seeing all day. But that was okay, it didn't bother you. It was fun.

A few boys glanced appreciatively at you as you passed them. You couldn't really say that you didn't know why you had their attention. It was because you looked really cute in your outfit. Wearing a peach tank top with ruffles down the front, tucked into a red miniskirt, you looked adorable and perky at the same time, without overdoing it.

The sun was setting slowly into the horizon, melting into the sea with a burst of gold and crimson, and the city was lighting up with the evening lights. Each store had a colorful string of lights outside, shining vividly. People were outside, talking and laughing, sipping drinks, visiting stores, just hanging out.

"You want a pair of free movie tickets?" one man asked when you strolled past him. He was standing in front of a dark alley. "All you have to do is fill out this survey." He stuck a clipboard under your nose.

You stepped back from him. "No, it's okay, I don't really like movies," you protested.

"But these tickets give you the front-row view! There won't be anyone's head in your way!" he continued, coming closer. He had bad breath and he was scruffy-looking. There was a bit of alcohol on his breath.

"No, really, I don't need them." You saw his gaze sneak down your shirt and disgust washed over your features. You thought about shoving him. Would that be rude?

The man narrowed his eyes and his voice lowered as he dropped the act. "Well, if you don't want the movie tickets, I'm sure I know what a girl like you will want," he growled, and then he reached out and caught your wrist.

You stared at him in disbelief. Was he implying that he would rape you? It was your second week here and already you would be _raped? _ "Let go of me!" you cried, jerking your arm back. But his grip was tight and he didn't let go. Then he turned and started to walk off, making to drag you with him.

But before you could scream or kick him or anything, someone grabbed you from the man. "Stay away from her," the person snarled.

"Who the hell are—" the man started and he was cut-off when a punch caught him in the jaw, sending him staggering back.

You whirled around to see your savior and found that it was Doumyoji.

"D-Doumyoji-san!" you gasped. His face was expressionless. He glared down at the man, contemplating whether or not he should kick him; it was clear on his face. But then he turned to you.

"What are you doing, walking around like that?" he asked.

"I didn't mean for it to be harmless, I…"

"You're dressed too cute," he said. "Don't be surprised that a guy wanted to take you."

When you processed what he had just said, your face warmed and you were glad that the alley's shadows were there, to shield you. "I-I didn't know that I…"

Doumyoji rolled his eyes. He strode out of the alley and back into the populous streets, and you hurried after him, partly because you didn't want to be in the alley with the man and partly because Doumyoji had long legs and it was hard to catch up to him. By the time you finally did, you were short on breath. "Thank you," you said, looking up at him. He was tall. He towered over you. "Thank you for saving me from that man."

He looked down on your with his dark eyes and for a moment, he said nothing, did nothing. Then a smirk flashed across his face. "Uh-huh."

"What were you doing here, anyway?" you asked him, trying to take the attention away from you.

Doumyoji answered, "I was taking a break."

"From what?"

"I've been selling lemonade all day. At the corner of this street, right by that nasty seafood diner. I hate seafood." Doumyoji scrunched up his nose.

You giggled as he did that. He looked cute. Then you said, "You've been selling lemonade?"

"Yeah. With Soujiro and Rui. Akira couldn't make it. His sisters needed to be babysat, and his mother wasn't at home."

"But I thought you were super rich," you said. You looked at him. "And here you're selling lemonade for money?"

"Well, yeah, what else would I sell it for?" He raised an eyebrow, and then held up a hand in greeting to someone. "Soujiro, Rui. Look who I happened to run into."

The two boys were standing behind a makeshift lemonade stand. There were a few pitchers of the ice-cold beverage on the top, and then there was a bag of plastic cups. The hand-drawn sign read LEMONADE! ONLY THREE YEN FOR A CUP! Nishikado smiled at you. "Hey, (Name)," he greeted.

"Hey, yourself," you replied. You'd seen a lot of Nishikado lately, and you enjoyed his company. He'd mentioned that he wanted to become a player, the most irresponsible man in Japan, but he was social and easy to talk to, so you liked him.

Hanazawa was leaning on the stand. He looked sleepy, as usual. The lights from the nearby seafood diner made his face soften. "Hi," he said, smiling at you.

Your heart fluttered. What was it about his smiles that made you feel so weak-kneed? "Hi," you said stupidly. You couldn't think of anything witty to say to him. Unconsciously, you ran a hand through your hair in an attempt to smooth it down. You wondered if you looked good.

Hanazawa's smile broadened and he looked amused, like he knew what was going through your mind. "You look fine." You studied your florescent purple nails to hide your blush.

Doumyoji was watching the exchange between you two and he couldn't help but feel irritated. _Why does Rui get all the girls? _he wondered darkly. _I'm a lot better looking than him…besides, didn't I read somewhere that girls like the bad boy more than the sensitive one?_

He was confused. That magazine article hadn't really helped him, but for some reason, it stuck in his mind. He sighed. Maybe he would just ask Mimasaka and Nishikado later. If anyone knew about women, it was those two.

You stepped up closer to the stand. "Wow…I thought I would never see the day where Eitoku boys would sell anything for hard-earned money…" Then you laughed. "And especially not lemonade."

"Can I interest you in buying a cup? We have pink lemonade, normal lemonade, and strawberry lemonade," informed Nishikado, sweeping his hand out with each choice.

"Actually, that strawberry lemonade looks really refreshing right now…" You pulled your purse down and tugged down the zipper, sticking your hand in to look for your wallet.

Then Doumyoji held out a hand. "No, you don't need to pay," he said. "You can just have a cup." He poured a glass of strawberry lemonade and held it out to you.

Hanazawa made a face, wrinkling his nose, if not, delicately. "I don't know why, but a lot of people have been buying that kind. I, personally, think it's disgusting." He held up his glass of pink lemonade. "I prefer this kind."

You looked at Doumyoji. "Are you sure?" you asked. "I mean, you're here earning your first ever money…and you're giving me a free glass…"

He shook his head, ignoring what you had just said. "Just drink it. I don't need your money."

From his position, Nishikado grinned. "That's his way of saying, 'Oh, (Name), you're such a pretty girl, have this to drink!'" He fluttered his eyelashes at you and then leaned in close and whispered, "Then I'll fuck you until you can't walk~" You laughed, slapping him lightly on the arm. Doumyoji's face turned red and he turned it away from you, to hide it.

Even though it was a small thing, Doumyoji letting you have a free cup of lemonade, you still thought it was sweet. Doumyoji was trying to look indifferent but his eyes showed otherwise, glancing at you to catch your reaction. You gave him a smile and his face reddened.

_How cute,_ you thought.

You took a sip of the lemonade. The glass cubes clinked against the rim. "So have you guys had any luck today? Did people buy lemonade? You know, considering that it's, like, dinner time right now, I don't think anyone would buy it…"

"Oh, ho, but that's where you're wrong, pretty little (Name)." Nishikado threw a wink over his shoulder as a group of giggling girls approached the stand nervously. "You'd be surprised at how many people buy lemonade when three sexy guys sell it."

The leader of the group, a girl with honey-blond hair and a cute smattering of freckles across her nose came forward. The rest of her group stayed back, whispering amongst themselves. "Um, hi," she said. "I'd like some lemonade…" Her dark eyes kept darting towards Hanazawa. Obviously, she had worked herself up a crush for the sleepy brunette.

"Of course," Nishikado answered. He had noticed the girl's stares as well. The other girls were giggling and staring at Doumyoji and him. "What can I get you?"

"Um…um…" she stammered. You weren't sure if she had heard the question.

You thought the crush was cute. This girl was practically as red as a stop sign, with the blush that crept up her neck and plastered onto her cheeks. So you stepped in to help her. "The pink lemonade is his favorite," you said kindly.

"Oh! Well, then, I g-guess I'll have that…" she said.

Nishikado poured it and handed it to her. "That'll be three yen."

The girl handed over the money, never once taking her eyes off of Hanazawa. He was yawning, oblivious to her stare. You held your glass out and said, "Cheers!"

She was surprised. Then she said, "All right," and held her glass out.

You looked at Hanazawa. "You too, mister."

He rolled his eyes but smiled sheepishly. "Sure, sure."

The three of you clinked glasses together and exclaimed, "Cheers!"

The girl bowed her head slightly towards Hanazawa. "Thank you." She then ran off to her friends, laughing happily, and the group of girls disappeared.

Nishikado blinked. "It's like I was invisible," he said softly, in awe.

Doumyoji slapped him on the back. "You've gotta get used to that, man, Rui gets all the girls," he said lightly.

You shook your head at the said boy. "Boy, aren't you dense! She was totally into you!"

"Me?" He looked surprised.

"Of course! You're so dreamy, Hanazawa Rui, with those brown eyes and that _smile_…" you teased, poking him in the shoulder.

"Why, thank you," he replied. "You're not too bad yourself."

Doumyoji pretended to be immersed with his task of making more lemonade, but out of the corner of his eye, he watched you laugh with Hanazawa. Something deep inside his mind twitched.

He planned to get you. He wouldn't have Hanazawa come in his way. Because he was his best friend, Hanazawa would have to understand.

And he would, eventually.


	4. Boredom

"Wow…what a boring summer day."

Maiko sighed as she dipped the nail brush into the color, swirling it around. She lay on her stomach on top of your bed, painting her nails a luscious shade of blue. "I'm so bored…" she complained. Her eyes rose up and met yours'. "Be a doll, (Name), and turn on the TV, will you? Maybe there'll be something interesting on."

You pressed the button on the remote and turned your TV set on. The screen came to life. It was set on some news channel. You lazily surfed the channels one by one, barely paying attention.

"Oh, look at that!" She giggled as she watched some silly commercial for a new TV show.

"I've seen that episode. It's really stupid." You stretched your arms up over your head, closing your eyes in content as the warm, burning feeling reaching deep into your core. Your tiny T-shirt, the one with the picture of a rose on it, rode up to reveal a strip of your tanned belly. Sighing, you flopped down into your beanbag chair.

Holding her hand out, Maiko admired her newly painted nails. "These look sexy, maybe I should give myself a pedicure," she commented out loud. "Do you want me to paint yours', too?"

You shook your head. Just recently they'd been done at a salon and you didn't want to ruin the shine. "It's all right." She shrugged and sat up to do her toe nails.

The two of you girls were hanging out in your spacey room. There wasn't much to do—you'd talked and she'd listened, and vice versa. Maiko had wanted to do her nails with your polish, so you said sure and let her. Your family was out at some afternoon party that you hadn't wanted to go to.

You reached for the book that sat on your desk. "What, you're planning to actually read during summer vacation?" Maiko cried, mock horrified.

"I have to. It's for summer reading."

"Oh." The girl rolled her eyes. "I hate reading. It's so…blah."

You smiled. That was something you had remembered quite well about Maiko. She liked to spend her time with make-up, clubs, parties, shopping, and boys. Not really your idea of fun. You enjoyed writing, reading (gasp!), painting, and cooking pastries. It was actually fun, that last one. You and Maiko were almost complete opposites—she was outgoing, relaxed and bold, you were more reserved, witty, and shy—but that was the reason why the two of you were such good friends.

Opening to the page you had marked your stop last, you began to read. Soon you found yourself lost in the make-believe world of fiction, where anything could happen. The characters and dialogue swirled around you. It was wonderful. You loved reading. You could escape to a whole different place…

There was a knock on the front door downstairs. You could hear it from your room, over the low murmur of the TV. Maiko shot you a look. You stood up, having been pulled from the quiet literature planet, and said, "I'll get it."

"Okay." Maiko looked happy that she didn't have to get up and ruin her pedicure.

You made your way downstairs and then planted yourself in front of the door. "…sometimes I wish we had windows that allowed us to see who it is outside," you muttered to yourself. Then you pulled open the door.

"Uh, yo." Doumyoji was standing there. He was dressed in a blue T-shirt and baggy shorts. A red metal box was in one hand and slung over his shoulder were two fishing poles. Low atop his curly hair was a floppy fishing hat.

"Yo," you echoed, giving him a small smile. "What brings you here to my house?"

"W-Well…" he stammered, his face suddenly turning bright red. He looked past you, away from your gaze, and into your house, an excuse not to look at you. "I t-thought that if you weren't d-doing anything, you and I c-could…"

"Who's at the door?" a voice sang out from the top of the stairs. A second later Maiko's face popped out from the hallway. She was grinning widely. "Oh! Doumyoji-san! Hello!"

"Hi." He nodded curtly at your friend.

She floated down the steps, not even the least bit embarrassed about her outfit, which consisted of the skimpiest bikini top and teeny-tiny shorts. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I asked him."

Doumyoji gave a shrug. "I just wanted to ask (Name) something."

Maiko crossed her arms. She wiggled her toes, which had been painted a fresh cherry red. "Well? Ask away!"

He stared at her, refusing to say anything. You glanced over your shoulder at your friend. "Um, Maiko?" You gave her a pointed look.

She got the message and she laughed, slapping herself lightly on her forehead. "Oh! Duh! Sorry, I didn't know Doumyoji-san just wanted to talk to you." Maiko giggled. She pranced towards the kitchen, singing, "I'll leave you two alone~" Then she was gone.

You shook your head. "Sorry," you said, feeling the need to apologize for Maiko.

Doumyoji chuckled. "She's…curious," he finally managed, probably trying to find a better word for "nosy" but not wanting to sound rude.

"So, you were saying?" you probed.

"Oh, uh, right." He cleared his throat and looked straight at you when he said, "Do you want to come fishing w-with me?"

"Huh?" That took you by surprise. Doumyoji, the guy who hadn't said more than a sentence to you the whole three weeks you had known him, was asking you to go fishing with him? Then you said, "Wait. You mean, as a date?"

His face reddened. "I wouldn't call it that…"

A smile spread across your face. "Sure! I'd love to! I haven't gone fishing in a while, anyway." The last time you had gone was two years back, and from what you recalled, fishing was a time of patience, self-control and timing…and fun.

"Really?" He seemed surprised by your answer, like he had been expected a no. Then he grinned. "Cool."

"Do you want me to get a snack and stuff? Like soda? And sandwiches?"

"No, I already have it packed and ready to go." For a rich boy, he was surprisingly organized and put-together.

"Okay, just give me a second to change."

"What you have on is fine." His eyes flicked down to the length of your body, then flashed back up to your face.

"Then let me take care of Maiko," you said. You went to turn around and go into the kitchen to tell her, but the said girl was smiling brightly at you, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, don't worry about poor lil' me, (Name)," she said cheerfully. "I'm totally fine with you ditching me for Doumyoji-san! You two have fun now! Just forget about me, all right? Enjoy yourselves! I'll tell (your mother's name) when she gets home!" She waved.

You laughed. "Oh, gosh, Maiko, what'll I do with you?" Then you grabbed your sunglasses and went to Doumyoji. "Okay, I'm ready, then."

"Great," Doumyoji said. "Let's go."

* * *

"…so this is what fishing is like."

Doumyoji was lying on his back, propping himself up lazily on one elbow. His fishing pole was leaning against a nearby rock. He'd gotten tired of holding it half an hour ago. Said it bored him to look at the lake without feeling a fish bite.

You were finishing off a chocolate wrapped in gold paper. It had caramel inside, all gooey and warm, and it tasted so good. You called it rich chocolate—it had been from one of the top brands and very rarely you had the time to swallow chocolate. You popped the last bit into your mouth.

The male yawned. He curled his arm underneath his head and rested back. "Fishing is so boring," he commented. "I don't understand how people enjoy this."

Laughter rippled from your throat and soon you threw your head back, chortling. "I can't believe it! You come and ask me to go fishing with you when you don't even know how to fish!" The whole time you had shown the older boy how to string a pole and sit patiently for fish. You'd caught a small minnow, but one look at the animal and you'd decided to let it go, ignoring Doumyoji's loud protests. The minnow was just a baby. Besides, it wouldn't do you good sitting in your stomach, it was so tiny.

He gave you a look. "So? I don't have to know how to fish."

"Yes, you do, otherwise you won't catch anything!"

"Well, that has nothing to do with the fact that fishing is so boring!" Doumyoji yawned again, his eyes closing. "This will be the last time I ever go fishing again."

"Fishing is all about the waiting," you said, lecturing him. "You have to be patient and wait for the fish to come up. Sometimes they don't want to bite. Because they're not hungry. But sometimes, you get a fish every few seconds. This way, fishing is so much more interesting! You never know what will happen! And besides, it's a time where you can just be peaceful."

Doumyoji was quiet. He was looking up at you through half-lidded eyes. Then he said, "Why do you know so much about fishing?"

"My dad used to take me all the time. But when he got busy, he stopped." You thought about it, licking chocolate smudges off the tips of your fingers. "I really missed fishing. I like the quiet time it brings."

"You talk like you're such an expert on fishing."

"It's something I enjoy." The sun was shining brightly today and it was hitting you square in the face. You pulled your sunglasses over your eyes.

"I think it's stupid," he commented arrogantly. But he didn't sound like he really meant it. You turned your head sideways to look at him.

Light danced across his features. He had a perfect nose and high cheekbones, and his eyes were dark and alluring. His hair was still funny, a curly-top you would say, but you thought it suited him well. He didn't remind you of an aristocrat, and when you'd first met him, you'd thought he was a spoiled rich kid, but two hours under the tree's shade and sun gave you time to realize that Doumyoji was actually an average-day male.

You could fall in love with Doumyoji. He was cute. Every time you snuck a glance at him, he somehow knew. He would turn his head and the two of you would stare at each other before you would look away, abashed.

Doumyoji didn't say anything and you thought maybe he had fallen asleep. You were feeling sleepy yourself. The soft grass underneath your thighs was comfy. You would give anything to set down your fishing pole and curl up under the sun's rays like a content kitten. It would be so nice…

You lay down on the grass with a soft sigh. Mmm, it felt amazing. Your back ached from sitting over a pole and now you relaxed. Turning over onto your side for a more comfortable position, you yawned sleepily and then found yourself face-to-face with Doumyoji.

He was a few inches away from you. He was gazing at you, an expression you couldn't read written over his face. For a moment, the two of you just stared at each other. Then his gaze slipped down and settled onto your lips.

_Oh, God…does he want to kiss me?_

"You have some chocolate on your mouth," he said, his voice soft. "Here…I'll get it for you…"

You thought he was going to reach out and rub it. However, there was a gleam in his eyes and he murmured, "Rich chocolate always tastes wonderful after you've sat in the sun."

You realized he would get it off _using his tongue._

He came closer and closer, his eyes centered on your lips. You couldn't imagine yourself kissing him. And yet you wanted to kiss him.

There was a strange desire in your to feel his lips on top of yours'.

But before your lips could meet his, his fishing pole began to wriggle.

"Oh!" He sat up quickly. "I think I caught something!" He grabbed for his pole.

"Start reeling it in," you instructed, slowly sitting up. Absently, you rubbed the chocolate from your mouth. So he hadn't made that up, just as an excuse to lip-lock with you. Your shirt had ridden up to expose your tummy and you pulled it back down, annoyed with yourself. You could've kissed him! You would've kissed Doumyoji if a damn fish hadn't decided to bite! Why now, after the two hours they had spent out here?

He was doing as you told him, frantically reeling in the fish. When the end of the line was revealed, slowly coming out of the water, the both of you were surprised to find a huge trout dangling from the end.

"Whoa!" Doumyoji began to laugh. "I actually caught something! That's so cool!"

"Now you like fishing." But you were smiling too, despite the blush on your face. "Here. Do you want to keep it or let it go?"

"Man, this is big. I've never caught a fish before!" He was talking to himself happily, satisfied that he had finally caught a fish. The trout was flexing its body and flopping in the air, trying to get away, to get back in the water. It was in a struggle against the air, desperate to be in water, and it was losing.

Then Doumyoji reached out and unhooked the fish. Holding it in his hands, he lowered it to the lake and set it free. You watched the shining trout swim away.

The action surprised you. "You let it go?" You looked at Doumyoji.

He nodded. "What does it look like?" he replied. "Yeah. I don't really like trout, anyway." But he was blushing slightly and he knew it, so he pulled his floppy hat low over his forehead.

You couldn't help but smile. "Doumyoji-san, that's really…sweet."

His eyes met yours'. "…you don't have to call me 'Doumyoji-san'. I wouldn't care if you just addressed me with my name."

"A-Alright, then." You shoved the '-san' from your mind. "That was very sweet of you, Doumyoji. If I knew you better, I might've fallen in love with you."

"O-Over a simple thing l-like that?" He meant it as a retort, but now his face was flaming red, as red as a fire engine.

You laughed. "Uh-hum."


	5. Summer School

"Wait up!" you called after the brunette, running after him. He stopped to let you catch up. You reached his side and then bent over, hands on your knees, catching your breath. "Why do you walk so fast?"

"Fast?" Hanazawa blinked at you, puzzled. "I'm walking really slow."

"No, you're not!" you scoffed, flicking your hair from your eyes with a huff. "It's almost like you're trying to get rid of me!"

Mimasaka, who was ahead of you, turned around to see what was the holdup. "Rui's not trying to get rid of you, (Name). He's just got long legs, see?"

You looked down at your legs. "…I wish I had long legs."

"It's okay. Not everyone is blessed with them." He grinned. "Come on, we don't want to keep Tsukasa waiting!" The three of you continued on.

You were headed towards Eitoku. Because of his poor Japanese speaking-skills, Doumyoji was taking classes there. He had complained about it when he told the rest of F4 and you, commenting that it's "like summer school."

"Technically, it's not summer school," you had replied. "It's just an extra class to help you."

A frown had appeared on his face. "I don't need any help! I can do this on my own! I know how to speak Japanese like a hand on my back."

"Um…you mean, you know how to speak Japanese like the back of your hand," you had corrected him, smiling.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever!"

So now you entered the gates of Eitoku. A few groups of students wandered past, in pairs of two or three, each throwing you a look (either hostile or awed, depending on who it was), but they all bowed to Hanazawa and Mimasaka and greeted them pleasantly with a red face.

Eitoku was impressive. It had grand appearance, with tall buildings and high roofs. From where you were standing, you could see into a few classrooms. Students were sitting in their desks, some staring blankly at the teacher, others furiously taking notes. It looked like a peaceful environment, but then you remembered the stories about F4 and their dreaded red card and you remembered that the students could go from friendly to vicious with one nod.

You turned to Mimasaka, who was closest to you. "Um, do you guys still hand out red cards?" you asked. You felt awkward asking but you had to know the truth. The F4 were so sweet…

He shook his head. "Not anymore. It's getting old. Besides, it's cruel," he answered, reassuring you with an easy smile. You let out a sigh of relief. _Thank God._

Hanazawa pointed at one of the metal staircases. It was probably used for a fire escape. "Tsukasa said his classroom would be right by the door." He started up the stairs.

Both you and Mimasaka followed. "I'll go wait for him inside," Mimasaka said, one of his hands resting on the doorknob. "Rui, you and (Name) wait here. I'll be back." With that, he slipped inside.

You glanced at the brunette across from you. Stay out here with Hanazawa, alone? A blush flitted across your face. "Um…okay…"

He seemed to have no problem with it. He settled down, sitting comfortably, leaning his back against the wall. His eyes met yours', and an amused smile came onto his lips as he noticed how awkward you were. He patted the space next to you. "Sit."

You had no choice but to comply, so you sat right next to him, not too close, but close enough that his knee was pressing lightly against your hip.

Hanazawa tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath. "Mmm," he said. "I come here all the time. If I don't feel like going to class, I'll come here. It's really peaceful, actually. No one thinks to come out on the fire escape."

"Do you come here often?"

"Yeah. I rarely go to my classes."

"You really skip your classes?" You were amazed. "Wow! If I did that, my parents would kill me!"

Hanazawa looked at you. "Classes have no meaning to me. Everything has been pounded into me since I was little. Tsukasa's the only one who thinks that going to his classes is worthwhile."

"Really," you murmured, staring back at him. His eyes looked more blue than brown in the light. You could see yourself getting lost in them.

Then he reached out and touched your hair. "Do you mind if I braid your hair?" he asked.

The question surprised you. "Huh?" You gave him a look, no doubt was it a weird look. "Braid my hair?"

"Yeah…" He shrugged, a light blush dusting his features. "Akira's sisters always make me braid their hair. Can I braid yours'?"

"Uh, sure." You moved in front of him. He undid your ponytail and your hair cascaded down your shoulders. You felt a little self-conscious. You hadn't really taken the time to brush it well this morning. Mimasaka and Hanazawa had just shown up on your porch, inviting you to go see Doumyoji. "Sorry my hair's so tangled."

"No, it's fine. It's really soft." He threaded his fingers into your hair. You could feel his fingertips dancing across, weaving the strands into a braid. Hanazawa chuckled. "It smells like vanilla. It's nice."

Those words coming from his lips made you laugh softly. "Thank you."

There was an air about Hanazawa. It was soft and gentle. Even though your heart was skipping a few beats every now and then at the sensation of his fingers playing with your hair, you felt at ease. It was a wonderful thing.

"So how is your summer going?" he asked. "Enjoying it so far?"

You nodded slightly, so that you wouldn't ruin his handwork. "Yes. It's been really fun. I went fishing and bought so many new clothes, got makeovers and a ton of nail polish, and it's just been great, to be here in the sun!"

"And you met us."

"And I met you guys," you echoed, smiling.

Hanazawa seemed almost done with his task of braiding your hair. His fingers were hovering near the back of your neck, working quickly. You could imagine the concentration on his face, the determination and the focus to get it done. God, he had such a pretty face. If you were an artist, you would draw it everyday.

"Maybe when we take a vacation you can come with us," he offered. "Tsukasa goes up to his house, the one up in the mountains of Canada, around this time. It'd be fun. You'd love it."

"Canada?" You closed your eyes and thought about it. Didn't the people speak French there? They would say their sentences with "eh" at the ending, just like you'd seen on TV. Did Hanazawa mention mountains? You'd never seen real mountains. Only drawings and pictures. You liked the Snowcap Mountains. They were so pretty.

Finally, Hanazawa said, "Done." He reached around you and took your hand.

A blush threatened to creep up your cheeks. What? He's only holding my hand, you thought. Nothing serious.

"Like it?" he asked, moving your hand to pat your hair gently. He'd done a thick French braid. It had been done well. You were sure it was awesome.

You turned around, facing him once again. "Thank you, it's wonderful," you answered, smiling.

He smiled back. His hand still held yours'.

Just then the door swung open and out stepped Doumyoji. "Well, well, look who it is?" he greeted, stepping onto the fire escape. He had to bend slightly so that his head didn't hit the top of the doorway. He had such a tall frame. "(Name). And Rui." Something dark flashed across his face. You were intrigued. Was it jealously? Anger? Disappointment? Anyway, whatever it had been, it was gone now.

Hanazawa tilted up his head to look at his friend. "You done with your classes?" he inquired, releasing your hand.

The boy nodded. "They are such a drag. Japanese is difficult." He sat down on your side, folding his long legs underneath him. Wearing a plaid blue shirt, black jeans, and a black knit cap, he looked really handsome, even though it was an American look. He always looks handsome, you realized, glancing away.

Mimasaka rejoined the group. He shut the door and moved to sit on your other side, right by Hanazawa. "Tsukasa, you know, it would've been a good idea to be fluent in Japanese if you're going to live here."

"I hear you," sighed Doumyoji. He yawned. "I'm tired. And hungry. Have you guys eaten?" Mimasaka shook his head.

"Wait, you used to live somewhere else?" you asked, looking at the boy.

"I used to live with my mother and sister in America."

"You have a sister?" Being the only child, you'd always wanted a sibling to watch after.

Mimasaka leaned back on his hands. "Sis is amazing," he declared, talking about Doumyoji's sister. "She's older than us, and she's in America, with her husband. But she visits often. Next time she comes, I'll have you meet her, okay, (Name)?"

"But she sure parties hard," Hanazawa commented.

Doumyoji rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. If she sees vodka, she'll drink it, and then ask for another glass, and another, and another….and so forth."

"She sounds interesting," you said, laughing.

Doumyoji stretched his slender arms up into the air, a yawn coming from his lips. "Well, then," he said, standing back up. "I'm really hungry. And all I've been doing since I got up was studying Japanese. I need a break. I'm going to go grab a bite to eat and then, I don't know, hang out or something."

"I'm in." Mimasaka pulled himself to his feet.

Hanazawa shook his head. "Nah. I'm sleepy. I'm going home to sleep," he announced, leaning against the building. It looked like he could sleep right there, with his eyelids drooping over his irises.

"You're always sleepy," Doumyoji accused, but he sounded sort of gleeful and triumph. He turned to look at you. "You want to come, (Name)?"

"Actually, I promised Maiko that I would go over her house. I need to help her with her summer reading," you pointed out. "I'm sorry."

Mimasaka flashed you an easy smile. "No problem. It's understandable."

"Yeah," Doumyoji added. He sounded distant. He was staring hard at you with his dark eyes. His gaze was alluring and you could sink into them. They were so hypnotic.

Then he turned away. "Come on, Akira. Let's go."

The two entered the building and left you and Hanazawa out on the fire escape, alone once again. You started to stand onto your feet. "I guess I'll be seeing you, then, Hanazawa Rui," you started saying, but he looked up at you.

"You know Tsukasa likes you," he declared suddenly.

"Wh-what?" you stammered, staring at him.

He nodded solemnly. "It's so obvious. (Name). I'm not joking."

"But, Doumyoji, he—" You were at a loss for words. He couldn't, could he?

He wouldn't.

…would he?

Then Hanazawa said, "You're the reason I get up in the morning."

It was a cheesy line, one that you'd heard many times, and immediately you were smiling. Nervous, half- anxious giggles came from your mouth. "Don't do that to me, Hanazawa Rui," you scolded the brunette, shaking your finger at him. Then you waved bye and started down the metal staircase.

"Sorry, I wanted to try that on you!" he replied.

"It was corny!"

"Seriously, though! I wasn't joking about Tsukasa," he called after you.

You glanced over your shoulder and smiled at him, refusing to believe him. "Sure you weren't, sure you weren't. See you later."

He shrugged. "If you don't believe me, then okay." Then Hanazawa opened his mouth for a lazy yawn and slouched against the wall, closing his eyes. "Catch you around, (Name)," he said, and you couldn't help but notice how beautiful, how god-like he looked sitting like that.


	6. Really Hot Weather

"God, it's so hot today," you moaned.

Doumyoji looked over at you. "You think so?" he inquired.

You nodded, fanning yourself with your hand. "Yes! I feel like I am melting!"

It was a really hot day, just as you'd put it. There was not a cloud in the beautiful, clear sky. The sun was shining down really hard, with its yellow brilliance. You and Doumyoji were in the park **[1]**, under a big Oak tree. Its sprawling branches, covered in leafy green leaves, provided shade, but it couldn't stop the heat that was shimmering around everywhere.

Thankfully, the grass felt really cool underneath your body, just as you'd felt it last. You wore teeny tiny short shorts, and a white midriff. There was a sun visor pulled low over your forehead, to shield you from the sun as you lay in the grass.

Next to you, Doumyoji was wearing a pair of orange shorts and a blue shirt with an American baseball team printed across the chest. He only had sunglasses across his eyes, hiding you from their dark, hypnotic gaze.

Now, you weren't so sure why you were in the park with him. Doumyoji had asked you to accompany him today—"I have nothing better to do," he'd said. "The other guys are all out doing something and I didn't want to join them. I guess I'll just go hang out at the park. You want to come with?" —and you hadn't wanted to say no, for some reason. Maybe it was the choice of just being near the tall and handsome boy that made you agree.

Doumyoji leaned against the tree's thick trunk. "Usually, it's not so hot during this time of the year," he said. "It's like we were hit with a flame wave."

"Heat wave," you corrected absently, staring up at the sky. By now, you were used to hearing Doumyoji's slight mess-ups here and there. They were nothing major. Lately, he'd been speaking Japanese more and more fluently.

"Yeah, yeah, that," he said, not sounding like he cared whether or not he had gotten it right.

"You're doing really well with your Japanese skills," you said, flicking your gaze his way.

"Am I?" He seemed surprised.

You nodded, smiling at him. "Yeah. It's almost like you are a true-blood Japanese boy."

Doumyoji smirked. "Well, that's what I'm trying for."

On most guys, you couldn't stand it when they acted like they were so high and mighty even though they were just like everyone else. But when Doumyoji slightly did that, it wasn't annoying—it was actually attractive. "Uh-huh," you replied. "I'm sure."

He rolled his dark eyes. A few meters away from where the two of you were, five young boys were throwing water balloons at each other, shrieking happily when the water leaked onto them and soaked their clothes.

_That looks so refreshing_, you thought, watching the kids play.

A yawn escaped your lips. You were surprised to find yourself sleepy.

Doumyoji noticed as well. He plucked a tall stalk of grass from the ground, reached over, and tickled your nose with it. "Hey, don't sleep," he said. "I'll be real lonely then."

"You? Lonely?" you asked, giggling.

"It's not that stunning, is it? I get lonely sometimes, too, you know." He tossed the stalk of grass away.

You looked up at him. "Don't worry. I won't sleep. You probably won't let me, anyway."

"Exactly."

"So." You sat up, stretching your arms up. You closed your eyes, sighing contently. Sometimes that nice, little burn deep in your sore muscles felt so good. "Tell me, Doumyoji. You said you were rich, right?"

"What about it?" Doumyoji's semi-friendly demeanor vanished. His expression became more guarded.

You were sort of taken aback by his change. You played with the grass, running your fingers through it, trying to reassure yourself that it had been only a play of light instead of an actual behavior change. "Nothing, it's just that…where does a rich guy like yourself get so much free time? You know, time to himself?"

"Oh." Just as quickly as it had come, Doumyoji's unseen walls disappeared and he was back to his pleasant mood. "I really don't have that much time to enjoy. It's just how my mother's doing."

"Your mother, huh?" The five boys had run out of water balloons and they were running around the grass, laughing.

"Kaede Doumyoji. Heard of her?"

"She sounds familiar…" You vaguely remembered that you'd read about her in the newspaper about a year ago.

"Yeah, well, she's my mother and it sucks." He took of his sunglasses. "She's always locked in some political battle. It's like she's a dragon or something, breathing fire onto anyone who steps in her way." His eyes darkened even more, if that was possible, and he muttered darkly, "She uses her children as pawns."

You couldn't really tell him anything to make him feel better about that. It's not like you new anyone else who was rich. The first wealthy people you'd met, people who were truly wealthy, were the F4. So you just nodded and said, "Ah."

He didn't say anything for a moment. Then he turned to face you. A smirk curved his fine lips. "But at the moment, my mother's not really in an important feud. I don't have to worry about her and her blackmail. I can enjoy myself." His smirk widened. "I can actually go out and have some fun during the summer. You know, just hang out and deal with girls. Maybe even kiss one or two of them." He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Was he implying something? You blushed, wanting to look away from him but finding that you couldn't. Damn. It was his gaze…

"Are you saying that we try it out?" you said, trying not to flush any redder than you were.

"I hadn't thought of that," he replied nonchalantly.

Doumyoji seriously looked like he would kiss you right then and there, so you finally tore your eyes off of him and focused on the boys in front of you. "They look like they are having fun," you said, trying to change the subject. God, how could he be so calm? "It's so hot and the water would be so nice."

You babbled on and on about water, launching into a mini-speech of its origins. When you were nervous, you sometimes would just start talking a lot. But when you glanced out of the corner of your eye to see if Doumyoji was still looking at you with that sexy gaze, you realized that he wasn't there.

"Huh?" You were confused. "He was right here." You looked around, trying to find the tall boy. He couldn't have just vanished into thin air, could he? Well, it was quite possible. Doumyoji did seem extraordinary.

"—eeek!"

You let out a high-pitched squeal as you were suddenly drenched with ice-cold water. It seeped through your clothing, chilling you to the bone. The water felt wonderful on you, as you had been warm, but still you whirled around.

Doumyoji grinned at you. "Sorry," he said, dropping the empty water bottle onto the grass. "You said you were hot."

You stared at him, open-mouthed, completely soaked. "Wh-where'd you get that?" you spluttered, referring to the water bottle he'd been holding.

"Oh, this?" He looked down at it. "I got it from those kids over there. I just went and asked. They seemed happy to give it to me—as long as I bring it back to them. I guess I should do that," he added, almost as an afterthought, and he bent down and picked it up.

But there was no way you would let him just walk away from you. As he started off in the direction towards the children, you scrambled to your feet and then launched yourself at him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, startled. You wrapped your arms around his neck, hooking your legs around his waist. Doumyoji wrenched his head around to peer at you. "(Name)! Get off!"

"Never!" you cried in response.

He muttered something that sounded incredibly close to a curse. Then he tried to reach behind him to pull you off himself. "You're getting me all wet, (Name)! Come on, you damned woman, get off!"

But you were having way too much fun keeping yourself glued to his body, in all your soaking-wet glory. "Why don't you make me?" you taunted, plunging your fingers into his curls. His hair was amazingly soft.

"I will," he growled.

He dropped the water bottle and then reached behind him, blindly trying to pry you off. His hands grabbed hold of your hips and he dug his fingers hard. You squealed loudly, your body going rigid.

The noise that came from your mouth made Doumyoji smirk. "So you're ticklish, huh, (Name)?" he said, and then squeezed your hips again. He got the same reaction from you.

"Stop it, Doumyoji!" You gave one of his curls a tug.

But he seemed to like having found one of your weaknesses, one that he could easily take advantage of. Doumyoji pried you off from his back by unwrapping your legs and then pulling you off of his neck and onto the grass. He wasn't done, though. He tackled you to the ground and then pinned you there, his hands holding down your shoulders and his knees lightly pressing onto your thighs.

You looked up at him. "What are you doing?" you asked, wriggling to see if you could escape this position.

Doumyoji grinned. "Giving you what you deserve," he replied, and then started to tickle your stomach.

You couldn't help it; you began to laugh. "—really, Doumyoji, stop it!" you managed in between your laughter.

But he was a cruel one. He shook his head joyfully and attacked your stomach and hips with even more vicious tickling, his fingertips dancing across your skin.

By now you were shaking with laughter, squealing and begging him to stop. He didn't want to, of course. "You got me wet!" he said. "You got me wet and now it's my turn to give you payback!"

"That's hardly fair," you gasped.

He tickled you even more, covering your stomach and hips in a high speed. "I think it's perfectly fair," he replied. His dark eyes were sparkling.

After only a few more seconds, your face was flushed and you couldn't stop laughing. You kept begging him to stop and he kept refusing.

So in the midst of the torture, you reached up, grabbed a handful of his shirt, and pulled him down.

His mouth met yours'. It was a gentle kiss, nothing sloppy and needy. Just his lips on top of yours'. You were stunned by the action, and you almost wanted to pull away—but damn, Doumyoji kissed like a pro! His tongue mapped out your mouth, exploring every inch. You closed your eyes, allowing yourself to drift deeper into the kiss, your hands moving to rest on his broad shoulders.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, he pulled away from you. But he still stayed on top of your body, still pining you to the ground. His eyes were wide and his cheeks were slightly pink. He was staring at you. "…whoa, I…"

You were embarrassed, too. That kiss had felt so good. And it was only a kiss! Imagine what else Doumyoji could do to you...

There was an awkward silence between the two of you. Then you broke it by saying, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I just wanted to…"

He took a seat on the grass next to you. He had been right; his blue shirt was wet, thanks to you. Then a smile stretched his lips—his familiar half-smile, half-smirk. "Well, at least you had your kiss with me. You should be honored."

You sat up, narrowing your eyes at him. "That was my first kiss, and I should be honored?"

He nodded. "Not many girls get the chance that you just got."

"Then if you put it that way, I'm honored," you replied mockingly. But a smile had come to your lips. You reached for the forgotten water bottle and handed it to Doumyoji. "Here. I think you should go give this to those kids."

"I should, shouldn't I?" he said. He stood up, and then put a hand out. You took it and he helped you to your feet.

For a moment, the two of you just stared at each other. Your face heated up as a blush crept over. "I guess I'll see you later, then," you said shyly.

"Yeah. See you later," he echoed, but he lowered his gaze to the ground. He looked so cute like that; you would've kissed him again.

You turned and started to walk towards the exit of the park. You could still feel his lips on top of yours'. God, it had been amazing. And it was only just a kiss.

* * *

[1] – remember the picnic?


	7. Going to the Beach

"It's been such a long time since I've gone to the beach!"

Maiko was jabbering on and on about the beach. That was where the two of you were headed. The destination of happiness, filled with smiling people and warm sand where land and sea meet.

You had been sitting in your front yard, sprawled over a lawn chair. You'd been tanning, trying to get your skin to that delicious shade of chestnut Maiko currently had. You and the sun didn't really mix—you could spend an hour or two under its light without turning into a red lobster while everyone else became a sexy peanut. Maiko had walked up, a beach bag on her shoulder, and invited you to the beach and you'd said yes. Why not?

One thing you'd wanted to do for a while now was to go swimming in the ocean. The water felt so nice, especially on a day like today. Another thing you'd been waiting to do was to show off your new bikini.

It was a cute one, one that hugged your curves in all the right places and showed off your slim body. It was white, with little prints of cherries over the breasts and on the bottom, it was leaf-green (for the stem) with its strings red (for the cherry, of course). It was adorable, and it had been on sale! You were big on money. Anytime you went to the store, you looked at the price—unlike Maiko, who spends her whole allowance and then some of her parent's money when she goes along with you.

On top of your bikini, you wore a nude-colored sundress. And to finish off your look, you'd put on some magenta lip gloss.

"We're here!" Maiko announced as the two of you crossed the parking lot and the beach, with its clear, shimmering water and golden-colored sand came into view. There were a lot of people here today. The place was just bustling with voices and laughter.

You scanned the beach for a good spot. There were a few right by the water. But the spot you'd decided on going to was then occupied by a large man and his family. Darn. Oh, well. You'd just have to find another spot.

Maiko was eyeing the sandbar that was in the middle of the beach, a few minutes' worth of walking away. Knowing her, she was probably making eyes at the bartender. She'd been flirting with the dirty-blonde a few weeks ago. You knew this because she had told you over e-mail, saying, "I just met a sexy dirty-blonde guy; he works at the sandbar at our beach; he's hot and asked me for a date; I said yes!" Their date had gone well, from what you'd heard.

Then your friend gasped in delight. She called out, "Hey!" and began waving to some random person at the bar. Turning to you, Maiko grabbed your arm and started dragging you in that direction, with the detailed explanation of, "Let's say hi to them!"

"But, Maiko—!" you started, but the girl wasn't hearing any of it. So you let her haul you all the way to the sandbar.

When she finally let go of your arm, you got a look at the person she'd been so excited to see and felt a smile stretch its way onto your face. How many times had you run into these two over the course of the last few weeks? "Nishikado. And Mimasaka."

Mimasaka raised his dark sunglasses from his eyes, holding a flute filled with champagne in one hand. "(Name)!" he greeted. "And Maiko. Fancy seeing you two here."

"I could say the same about you," you replied. Then you gave his choice of drink a knowing look. "Champagne at the beach?"

"Romantic, right?" Mimasaka tilted it to his lips. He took a sip. "It's actually a lot better here in the sun than inside a hotel room. Even though it does help you with your sex—"

You made a gagging noise as Maiko's face turned red. Nishikado threw an arm around Maiko's shoulders and pulled her to his bare chest, giving his friend a disapproving glance. "Easy, Akira. You don't want to ruin these two innocent minds." He turned in your direction and swept his piercing eyes down your body, then back up in a way that made you feel strangely naked. "Mmm, (Name), you clean up real nicely. You look sexy."

Was that a compliment? "Um, thanks," you said, embarrassed.

"No problem. Although your breasts aren't as big as I would've liked…" He looked at your chest and licked his lips like a predator. You covered your chest with your bag, glaring at him, and he grinned, holding his hands up in surrender. "Kidding! I was just kidding!" he laughed. "I would never do anything to you. You're not really my type. Besides, you're too sweet."

"What are you two doing here?" Maiko asked, pushing her side-bangs back behind her ear with one practiced sweep of her hand.

Mimasaka nodded to a group of older-looking women in revealing bikinis as they sauntered by. Then he replied, "Well. We decided to come to the beach for a change. You know, just to get out and have some fun in the sun."

His companion shook his head in agreement. "Yeah, it's been a long time since I've dug out these trusty shorts." He patted his swimming trunks. Then Nishikado looked at you. "So why are you ladies at the beach?"

"For tanning, of course!" quipped Maiko cheerfully.

"Atta girl," he answered, grinning at her.

"Not me," you cut in, wagging your finger. "I can't tan. I just want to be by the sea."

Mimasaka laughed. "Nicely said, (Name). You put it just like a real poet would. It's deep." He smiled at you and you gave him a smile in return. Then he offered his arm to you. "Why don't you two lovely ladies join us? We're right over there," he said, pointing to some spot along the waves.

Maiko turned to you, her eyes shining. You knew well that she had a crush on Nishikado and she would do anything to be near the dark-haired player. "Oh, let's go with them!" she pleaded. "It'll be more fun this way!"

You shrugged. The two boys weren't so bad; you enjoyed their company and they made you feel happy. "All right, then, why not?"

"Great." Mimasaka led the way, with you following him at his side, Nishikado and Maiko bringing up the lead.

When the four of you reached the spot that the males had claimed, you realized that someone was lying underneath the umbrella's shade, stretched out on his striped beach towel with his hands up behind his head comfortably. It could only be one person, the person whom was always sleepy every time you saw him. He opened a blue eye and said, "You're back. Did the bar have any tea?"

Mimasaka sat next to him, leaning back on his hands. "No, Rui. A sandbar doesn't usually sell tea. They sell more of, I don't know, vodka and beer."

"And champagne," Hanazawa added wistfully, eyeing the flute. He raised his eyes to meet yours', and then briefly flicked them to look at Maiko before returning to settle on you. "Hey."

"Hey," you echoed, sitting down on his other side. You put your bag underneath the umbrella, so that the sun didn't melt everything you owned in there, and stretched your legs out in front of you comfortably, letting them soak up the sun.

Maiko and Nishikado took a seat on the sand. He was telling her about some night club that he frequently went to. She had taken out her towel, and she threw it out onto the warm sand before lying down on her side, facing him to hear his story and watch his handsome face.

"Isn't it weird that wherever I go nowadays, you're always there?" you asked Hanazawa, your eyes examining the sparkling ocean water.

He chuckled. "That's true, isn't it?" Hanazawa had his shirt off, displaying his nicely-built chest and sculpted abs. He wasn't wearing swim trunks, but he had on white drawstring shorts that hugged his thighs. "Oh, that's right. (Name)."

"Hmm?" You glanced at him.

"If kisses were snowflakes, I'd send you a blizzard."

He said this with a such a straight face that you burst out laughing, even though your face most probably turned twenty different shades of red. Then you gave Hanazawa a incredulous look. "Are you still trying out these corny lines? They'd never really get you anywhere, Hanazawa Rui."

The said boy smiled sheepishly. "I found them on a website. They're interesting. But do they actually work?"

You shook your head, giggling. "No!"

Then a tall shadow fell over you. You raised your eyes, your laughter faltering for a moment.

"…what a surprise."

Doumyoji was looked down at you, his handsome face impassive. He didn't wear a shirt either, so his tight abs were right there for you to fawn over. God damn, did Doumyoji have such a fucking _hot_ body.

…wow. Did you just use the f-word?

Well. Excuse your language, (Name). That usually didn't slip out, not unless there was something you really enjoyed.

Anyway. Doumyoji also had on neon green swim trunks. A normally ridiculous color for swim trunks, but they looked really good on him, as all the other things he wore did. Droplets of water clung to his skin and dampened his hair, making his normally curly-top hairdo all straight-looking. He'd just come from the water.

As you gazed at him, you remembered the kiss you had shared with him in the park. That moment had only been a couple of days ago, and so it was fresh in your mind. Just thinking about it made your face go warm. You smiled, trying not to blush any harder than you already were, and said, "Hey, Doumyoji."

His emotionless mask finally cracked and he let a big grin come onto his lips. He sank down onto the sand next to you. "(Name). I didn't know you'd be here. You like the beach?"

"Yes. Maiko invited me, so I decided to come with her. Besides, I've wanted to come here for a while now," you replied. You felt strangely self-conscious. Did the nude sundress look good on you?

Hanazawa sat up. He rubbed the back of his head, blinking sleepily. "Tsukasa, can you believe that the sandbar doesn't have any tea?" he said,

The boy stifled a snicker. "I know. Heartbreaking, right?"

The brunette nodded. His gaze wandered around, and then landed on your smooth legs. You didn't notice until he said, "Your legs are beginning to get sunburn, (Name)."

"Huh?" You looked down at your legs. Just like he'd said, your skin was indeed turning an angry shade of red. You let out an angry exhale of breath and brought your legs up. "Seriously? They couldn't have been in the sun for more than a few minutes."

"You burn really easily, don't you?" Doumyoji commented, a wide smirk on his face.

You glared at him. "Shut up." You turned and reached for your bag. Once it was in your grasp, you dug through it, trying to find the bottle of sun-tanning lotion you kept in there (for purposes like this).

"Here it is," you murmured triumphantly, pulling it out. You opened the lid and poured a small pool of the cold cream into your hand.

Nishikado glanced over from his conversation with Mimasaka and Maiko and gave you a knowing look. "Want me to put that on for you?" he offered. You knew that there was somewhat more than a friendly suggestion behind his suggestion, so you shook your head and rubbed it onto your legs yourself.

"Is the water good?" Hanazawa asked Doumyoji. The beach ball from a nearby family bounced over and landed near his feet. A little girl in a one-piece pink swimsuit ran over to get it. Hanazawa picked it up and gave it to her with a smile. She grinned back, her cheeks tinting pink, and jogged on over to her waiting family, the big beach ball in her tiny arms.

Doumyoji nodded. "It's cold, but it feels good." He was toweling off his hair, which was slowly returning to its' natural curly state.

"Maybe I'll go in."

You finished rubbing lotion onto your legs and slipped the bottle back into your bag. Then you reached up and pulled your sundress up and over your head, letting it crumple on top your beach bag. You lay down on your back, letting the sun wash its' warmth all over you. "Time to do a little tanning," you announced to the two boys, smiling happily and closing your eyes. "So don't bother me."

Hanazawa glanced down at you, a soft smile of his totally-kissable lips. "You could use the tan," he said.

You opened one eye and stared at him, trying to unsuccessfully raise an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Kidding, I'm kidding." He patted your bare thigh gently. The skin underneath his fingertips tingled.

Doumyoji was examining your face closely. More like staring at your lips, to be exact. You just decided to ignore him and closed your eyes again. The sun felt wonderful on your skin. You could fall asleep then and there.

Then Doumyoji said, "Are you wearing lip gloss?"

"Yes, why?"

"Can I taste it?"

You about choked right there, even though you hadn't been drinking anything. Your face turning bright red and you stared at him. "Can you t-taste it? Um…"

He was grinning stupidly, even though his face was quickly turning to match yours'.

You then realized that Hanazawa had covered his mouth and was laughing crazily, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. You sat up and slapped him on his shoulder. "Hanazawa Rui, you! You're behind this!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he gasped. "I just wanted to see if Tsukasa would actually use one and he did. You're right. They are corny."

"You think?" You were still blushing furiously. Even the other two males and Maiko were chuckling.

Doumyoji said, "Take it easy, (Name). It didn't really mean anything."

"Whatever," you said, closing your eyes back and easing down. "I'm still going to tan. Don't bother me."

He was silent. Then, "…but I really do want to taste that lip gloss."

With that said, Doumyoji leaned down quickly and kissed you.


	8. Nighttime Summer Festival

It was the annual mid-July summer festival, and it was just filled with people. This was definitely the most people that had attended the festival in a while. You'd come every year, and this July, you were just over-whelmed with how many teenagers, babies, children, adults, and elders there were.

The sun had set and it was well into twilight. You'd just arrived at the festival after going to a summer beach volleyball tournament in the afternoon. Your mom knew some people who knew some people who played beach volleyball, and she had offered that you play, since you were good. So you got to spend your afternoon in the hot sun, dressed in a black bikini top and teeny shorts, diving into the sand, your body sticky with sweat. Well, hey, your team had won. Your spiking skills were amazing and earned you and your team the grand prize of free, delicious smoothies. Smoothies were always a win.

So here you were. You had dressed up and come with your family. Your parents were somewhere, probably manning a tent or eating some food. It didn't matter. They had given you permission to wander away unattended, as long as you came home by one in the morning and not "loaded like a gun", meaning that you weren't allowed to become drunk.

You walked around, gazing at all the tents and booths set up, filled with all the neat prizes and gifts. A few people called out to you, and you smiled back politely, stopping to exchange words before going back on your way.

"Step right up! You can win one of these fabulous prizes! Just two yen per game!"

"Enter this raffle and win a free trip to a hot springs!"

"Eat all the desserts here! We've got everything, including chocolate and caramel! Come on by and eat!"

The commotion was tranquil. You closed your eyes, just listening for a few seconds to all the sound around you. It was like surround-sound, and it was nice.

You opened your eyes and continued walking. You wandered past a game booth. It was that game where you could take a hammer and bring it down onto the plastic. A ball would go up, its' height depending on your strength. If it hit the bell, than you would win a prize. You saw four recognizable boys standing in front of it. The tallest one, the one with the curly hair, was arguing with his friend.

You recognized them and a laugh escaped your lips. Why was it that whenever you went somewhere, you would find these guys? "Hey, F4," you called, making your way over to them.

Doumyoji and Nishikado stopped their heated battle. Doumyoji broke off from his angry reply and turned to give you a self-satisfied smile. "(Name)," he said. Then he pointed at Nishikado. "Would you tell Soujiro that I'm stronger than him?"

"Stronger than me?" scoffed the boy. He reached a hand out and poked Doumyoji's bicep. "Do you call that muscle? I call it flab! You need guns, man, guns like these!" He cocked his arms and grinned at Doumyoji, who rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Good evening, (Name)," Mimasaka welcomed. He'd been talking to the booth owner, a stringy-looking man with a droopy mustache. "You look really nice."

"Thank you," you replied, aware that Doumyoji's dark eyes flashed over to take in your outfit. You were wearing a brand-new kimono that was crimson red and had swirling dragons stitched in gold silk. It hugged your body and fit you well, making your petite frame look unbelievably sexy. To match your apparel, you'd twisted your hair into a bun that sat atop your head, and then you stuck chopsticks through. Your feet were clad in traditional red Japanese slippers.

"Are you enjoying the festival?" you asked him.

Mimasaka nodded. "Yes, it's interesting," he said, a smile playing on his lips. "This is the first time I've gone to a festival. I usually avoid these. The games are interesting." His eyes were sparkling, and you had the feeling that he had tried out a few games and won, judging by the bags by his feet, most likely filled with treasures he'd earned.

"This isn't my first time," you said, "I've come almost every year I can. It's fun, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," he agreed.

Then you turned to the last boy you hadn't spoken to, the one leaning against the booth, eating blue cotton-candy. "Hanazawa Rui, can I have some of your candy?"

Hanazawa made a face, sticking out his perfect tongue at you, wrinkling his button-cute nose, crossing his entrancing blue eyes. "But this is mine," he whined. "Can't you just get your own?" He was kidding. He held out the sweet treat and you tore off some of the fluff, placing it in your mouth.

Over the course of the last two months, you had gotten to know the brunette a lot better. Not only was he animated towards you, he was friendly as well, always taking the time to do something for you or listen to what you had to say. There was an air about him, something gentle, and it made you feel at ease whenever you talked to him. You also felt a strange, sexual desire for Hanazawa, to have him wrap his arms around your waist and pull you into a steamy kiss, but you knew he would never and Doumyoji was probably the right man to go to for that kind of intense thing.

Doumyoji. Oh, the great Tsukasa Doumyoji. The two of you had been meeting with each other all last week for dates. Rich man dates, poor man dates. He'd taken you to a fancy restaurant, he'd taken you shopping. You'd gone with him to the pet store, you'd attended a baseball game with him. Each of those outings had been filled with plenty of lip action. He was almost sweet during those dates. You enjoyed his company and soaked it up like a sponge. And, of course, he never missed a chance to tickle you, not after he'd found your weakness.

"Mmm." You liked the way the cotton candy melted on the tip of your tongue. It was sweet. You hadn't tasted cotton candy in a while. "It's great."

"I won it at a game booth," Hanazawa informed you.

"He played the man out of cards," added Mimasaka, loosely referring to Blackjack. You'd seen the F4 play numerous card games whenever they got together, and each of the boys harbored a specialty in at least one game. Hanazawa's happened to be Blackjack. Lady Luck was always with him. Your gaze met with Hanazawa's; he smiled and you smiled back.

"You know what?" Nishikado taunted, his voice teasing and smug. He had his hands crossed across his broad chest. "You say you have strength, Tsukasa? Then hit it. Go ahead. Hit it. If you hit the bell at the top, then I will pay you 30000 yen."

You blanched, staring at the boy as if he were delusional. "30000 yen?" you repeated incredulously. Who would bet that much at a festival?

But Doumyoji seemed to like this. He paused for a moment, thinking. Then he said, "And if I lose?"

Nishikado smirked sexily. "Then you'll have to kiss me and declare your undying love right here, as loud as you possibly can," he replied.

There was muffled snickering and you knew from the sound that it was Hanazawa, with one hand slapped over his mouth in an attempt to hide it.

By now, there was a small crowd gathering, watching to see whether Doumyoji would accept the challenge, even with its' ridiculous terms. Mimasaka placed a hand on his curly-haired friend's shoulder. "Don't do it, Tsukasa," he cautioned. "You'll make a fool out of yourself if you lose."

"And I'll be called gay. But think about it, Akira, I can get ¥30000 just by showing Soujiro my strength! I can't pass this up." Determination glinted deep within his dark eyes. With that said, Doumyoji strode over to the booth. The booth owner perked up as the boy neared. He could probably smell the money wafting from Doumyoji.

"Would you like to give it a shot?" asked the owner. He had a nasally voice that made you crinkle your nose.

Doumyoji reached into his pocket and pulled out ¥20. "One swing," he requested.

The lips of the owner spread widely, revealing yellow teeth. "Of course," he said, taking the money and then handing the boy the toy hammer.

Doumyoji took it. He walked over to the tall-standing machine, weighing the hammer in his hands, twirling it, spinning it, trying to make it seem like he had all the confidence in the world.

All eyes were on him. He knew how to lead a show, to hold the comical suspense.

He raised it above his head. Nishikado grinned, obviously betting that his friend wouldn't be able to hit the top.

Doumyoji swung.

The little bar travelled up, up, up, and up still. It started slowing down when it had travelled halfway. Doumyoji watched it, and you watched it, too, along with everyone else. The bar slowed even more as it neared the bell. It seemed to hesitate an inch away from its destined target. Everyone held their breath.

"Damn it, come on," muttered Doumyoji.

"Go down," Nishikado murmured.

The bar hovered there for a moment. Then it decided that one more inch would be no problem and hit the bell. A ding rang out. The crowd cheered. You applauded with them, even though it would have been fun to see how Doumyoji would proclaim his "undying love" for his buddy. Hanazawa was disappointed, but he just shoveled more cotton candy into his mouth, swallowing thoughtfully.

"Ah, congratulations," said the owner. It showed that he'd hoped Doumyoji wouldn't make it.

Doumyoji turned around to face you and F4. He smirked at Nishikado, extending a hand, palm up. "C'mon," he said, clearly relishing the fact that he'd just won ¥30000 for hitting a bell. "Give it here, Soujiro."

Nishikado reached into his pocket, pulled out his black leather wallet, and took out the amount. Then he dropped it into Doumyoji's hand, wistfully watching it softly flutter down to rest on his palm. "There, man," he replied. "Knock yourself out."

The crowd slowly dispersed, as people went back to whatever they had being doing or been planning to do before they decided to watch the insane challenge. A few girls your age sauntered up to Mimasaka and Soujiro, known to your eyes as the Playboy Pair. After a few lines of conversation, Mimasaka came over to you and the other two boys of the F4.

"We're going to go hang out with them," he informed, referring to the giggling females. "Soujiro knows two of them, and the third one wants me to come along, so…" He shrugged, sweeping some of his blonde hair from his eyes.

Hanazawa had finished the cotton candy and now he crumpled the cone in his hands. "Sure. Go have fun. Watch Soujiro." His blue eyes scanned the vicinity, landing on something apparently interesting because a smile flitted over his face.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." Doumyoji was still counting the money, making sure that Nishikado hadn't conned him.

You shook your head at the boys. Then you leaned closer to Mimasaka, standing up on your tiptoes so you could be heard. It had suddenly gotten louder; there was a band performing and people were watching, cheering loudly. "How about this, Mimasaka. We'll meet there"—you pointed to where the band was performing—"at five minutes to midnight. That way, we can all be together to watch the fireworks."

He thought about it, and then nodded. "All right, then. I'll see you at five 'til midnight." Then he swiftly kissed your cheek and he, Nishikado, and the trio of girls were on their way.

You didn't think much of the kiss, even though Doumyoji had seen it and his eyes had darkened. It had been more brotherly than anything. That's what you thought of Mimasaka. He was the brotherly image of the F4.

Then you turned to Doumyoji and Hanazawa. "So," you said, reaching up to pat your hair, making sure it was still in place. "What do you guys want to do?"

"I want to go see the performance," Hanazawa said, flicking his eyes to you. "And there are still a few booths I want to try."

"Ugh, no more carnival games," Doumyoji commented, sticking his tongue out. "And this music is terrible."

You could see that Hanazawa thought the opposite about the music and his eyes narrowed as he opened his mouth to reply, but you stepped in, making sure that nothing got out of hand. "Okay. Hanazawa Rui, you can go see the band and try out those booths. Doumyoji and I will stay together." You hooked your hand through the said boy's. "Is that okay?"

"Fine by me," Doumyoji said, blushing slightly.

"Okay…" Hanazawa waved and then wandered over in the direction of more booths.

You looked up at the tall, curly-haired male with a questioning look and he said, "Do you want to get something to eat?"

Well, you were hungry. "Why not?"

A long line and a few minutes later, the two of you sat down at an empty park table. It was now ten-thirty or so, and the sky was dark, so the lights of the festival had a sharp contrast against the black backdrop of sky. You had bought a hot fudge sundae, covered with, well, chocolate fudge and cashews. Doumyoji sat across from you with a Cola and a hamburger (you'd introduced the food to him recently, and he enjoyed it, though he wouldn't admit it) in hand.

You scooped some of the ice cream onto your spoon and directed it towards your waiting mouth. "Mmm," you exclaimed, relishing the wonderful taste. "This is amazing! I can see why Americans like them so much!" You continued "mmm"-ing, putting more of the dessert into your mouth.

Doumyoji was watching you intently. Then he slurped some of his soda, saying something that you didn't catch. "…cute."

"Hmm?"

"I said, you're cute." He smiled and unwrapped his burger.

A blush crept over your cheeks. You looked down at your food, suddenly feeling shy. What was it with Doumyoji? Why did he make you feel this way?—butterflies in your stomach, blushes blooming on your face. It was totally unfair, on your hormones' part. "Thanks," you replied. "But it's nothing special. I just like my food."

"That's the point. You always enjoy your food. A lot of girls nowadays won't even eat anything when I'm with them." Doumyoji smirked. "But you, (Name)? You eat everything. And then some."

You blushed even harder, this time looking up at him. "Are you trying to pick a fight?" you asked, raising a fist but you didn't mean it, and besides, he was laughing and so were you.

After the late-night snack, the two of you just wandered around the festival grounds, hand in hand. It was interesting to watch the people. When you finally circled the whole place and ended back at the place where the performing band was just finishing (they had done many songs), Doumyoji said, "Wait here," let go of your hand, and then ran off somewhere.

You looked around, doing as he'd said by standing there and waiting for him. It was a beautiful night. The moon was half-full and there were plenty of twinkling stars. It was romantic, you realized. The setting suddenly made you want to kiss Doumyoji, from the balcony of your bedroom. How nice would it be to have him hold you, his arms wrapped around your waist, as he trailed his delicious kisses down your neck and onto your shoulder…

You closed your eyes. You could imagine him doing that to you. That, and many other things you'd once thought were forbidden. Now they just seemed like normal nature to you.

With a content sigh, you opened your eyes.

And there was a soft, white plushy teddy bear inches away from your face, filling in your line of vision.

You pulled your head back, looking at the adorable plushie. Then your eyes travelled up the arms that held it, over the shoulders, and landed on the face.

"D-Doumyoji?"

He smiled, looking slightly abashed. "Here. I thought you might like it." He held out the bear to you.

You took it from him, hugging it to your bosom with a fierce intensity. "Aww, this is so cute!" you squealed, running your fingers down its silkiness and softness. Then you turned to him and thanked him happily.

He rubbed the back of his head, secretly proud with himself that he'd picked out the right thing for you.

_Now would be the perfect time for a kiss,_ Doumyoji thought, watching as you gazed at the bear in your arms. _It would be all casual like…_ He leaned in...

And a brunette stepped in front of him. Doumyoji had to catch himself to avoid kissing the back of the brunette's head. "Hey, (Name), come with me."

You cocked your head, giving Hanazawa a questioning look. "Why?"

"I asked the music manager if I could play a song, and he said it would be all right, and I want you to sing with me," he explained excitedly, his blue eyes all sparkly. True to his word, he carried his violin case, which had somehow magically appeared, in his hand. With his other free hand, he caught hold of yours' and started tugging you in the direction of the stage, where people had seated in front of it, waiting to hear the next performer. "Come on!"

"Oh, all right, Hanazawa Rui, how can I say no to you?" you laughed. Then you whirled around and gave Doumyoji the bear. "Will you hold this for me? Thank you!" You didn't wait to hear his answer because Hanazawa was now dragging you, and so you followed him up there.

Doumyoji sighed. He leaned against one of the booths, close enough that he would be able to hear you and Hanazawa perform but far enough so that he couldn't see the matching excitement on both of your faces'. He stared at the plushie in his hands. "Why is Rui such a damn bastard?" he growled lowly. "Every time, it's just me and (Name), he has to come and ruin it. Goddamn it."

Up on stage, Hanazawa took out his violin. The music manager put a mike on it and then exited the stage. Hanazawa turned, motioning you to come forward with his hand.

You stepped up to the other microphone and tapped it gently, testing it. Then you whispered to the brunette, "You know, you owe me something for coming up here and performing with you."

"You love this, though," he replied as the manager announced both of your names'. The audience applauded, sounding thunderous because there were so many of them, and slowly lights dimmed, until the spotlights were focused on you and Hanazawa.

Hanazawa caught you eye. You nodded, taking a deep breath. Looking down at his instrument, Hanazawa began to play. It took a second for the song to register in your brain, and then you smiled, because you loved the song. You opened your mouth and began to sing. You found Doumyoji's face way in the back and shot him a huge smile. You were too far away to see the raw, uncontrolled emotions battle on his face.


	9. Looking at the Stars

It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and white, the purest, whitest white it could possibly be. It shone in the night like a signal. There were tons of twinkling stars out, hanging everywhere. They sparkled, clumped together in clusters here and there. There was a slight breeze, which felt good because the night was a little humid.

You were sitting in your backyard, looking at the stars. Normally, it wasn't a thing you would do by your lonesome, but your family had gone out to eat at the restaurant and they had warned you that they would be home late, for after the meal they were meeting some old friends in the middle of the city.

It would be nice if Maiko had joined you. You'd texted her earlier, asking if she'd like to. But she was busy, she said, her little brother had gotten sick and she was taking care of him. Food poisoning or something. Well, best not to be involved with food poisoning. You hated getting sick, especially in the summer. It just ruined everything.

You were sprawled on a blanket over the lush grass, wearing a pale pink sundress. Your feet were bare and you'd painted your toenails light purple to match a dress you'd worn yesterday. You felt like a little girl as you gazed up at the stars. From where you came, deep within a lively city, you could never look up into the sky.

You weren't sure what time it was, but it had to be around ten or eleven. You decided to stay here until midnight. Then you would go inside and get some sleep.

A light knock startled you from your thoughts and you turned to face the entrance of the white gates. A boy was standing there, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white shirt. "May I join you?" he asked.

A smile came onto your lips. The voice was familiar, as was the boy. "Of course, Hanazawa Rui," you replied. You patted the space on the blanket next to you. "Come here."

He unlocked the gates and swung his legs over it, entering the lawn. Then he strode over to you, his long legs covering the distance easily. Within a few seconds, he was right next to you, and he plopped down, sitting at your side. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good." You smiled. "I'm glad you're here. I was longing for company."

The brunette ran a hand through his hair, fixing his locks. "I was bored out of my mind," he said. "And the sky was so pretty. I thought maybe you would be looking at it. So I came to see."

"Well, you were right, Hanazawa Rui." You rolled onto your back, lacing your hands onto your stomach. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

He nodded. "It is. Normally, I don't look at the stars, but I'll make an exception tonight."

The two of you sat there, a comfortable silence passing in between your bodies. Hanazawa had his legs stretched out in front of him and he was sitting back, balancing on the palms of his hands.

After a few moments, he said, "Are you going to go back soon?"

"Well…" You had sort of forgotten that you didn't live here. You were only staying here for the summer because your family owned a beach house. "Yes. I'll be here for one more month. Then I'll have to go home. I can't miss the first day of school. If I do, I'll be killed." You smiled, but you were thinking about Maiko and the F4. Going back would mean that you would be leaving these wonderful people. You'd gotten to know the F4 so well… They were like brothers to you.

"We'll miss you," Hanazawa said quietly. You glanced at him, surprised, but he was staring up at the sky. A blush came onto your cheeks.

"I'll miss you guys so much," you replied. "It's been fun."

Then you mentally slapped yourself for not being courteous. "I'm sorry. Are you hungry? Would you like to eat anything?"

This time, Hanazawa turned to look at you. He was amused. "Just because I like food doesn't mean that I'm always going to be hungry," he said. When you blushed even more, he laughed and reached out to tousle your hair. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking, though."

You relaxed, fixing your bangs. You were feeling a little bit hungry and you had a weird craving for lemonade and chocolate, but you didn't want to get up to get it because you didn't want to leave Hanazawa's side.

Then Hanazawa said, "So, are you and Tsukasa…?"

He left the question hanging, but you knew what he meant. Strangely, though, you should've been embarrassed or at least shy when he asked it. But you felt nothing. Just an empty hollowness in your middle. "Yes. Well, I think we are. We've been going out on dates and stuff, and it's been a lot of fun, but…"

"But what?" he probed gently.

You sat up and drew your knees to your chest, wrapping your arms around them. "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, Hanazawa Rui…I'm not sure if I should even be feeling this way…" Your rested your chin on your arms and sighed. "I don't think I'm in love with Doumyoji."

His reaction wasn't surprising. Hanazawa just sat there. The only signs that showed you he'd heard what you'd said were he turned your way and raised a brow, incredulous. "Really, now?"

"I was in love with him in the beginning…and I thought that he would be perfect for me. I can tell that he really likes me. But I'm not so sure now. Every time I'm with him, it's nothing special. I don't feel love or adoration. I just feel…normal." You rolled your eyes. "I'm sorry, Hanazawa Rui, I'm just so bad at explaining this…"

He shook his head. "I know what you mean, (Name). And I get what you're saying. It's as simple as this: you were in love with him, but now your feelings have vanished, right?"

You nodded. "Yes." How could he say it so simply? You'd been trying to explain in great detail when he just thinned it down and said it.

"There's a reason for that." Hanazawa then turned to face you. His blue eyes were mesmerizing. "Why, (Name)? Why aren't you in love with Tsukasa anymore?"

There was nothing in his voice that made it sound like he was accusing you. You looked at him for a moment and then breathed out the words you'd been unconsciously holding in for so long, "Because I'm in love with you."

Hanazawa's calm face cracked, and you could see the surprise written there, like a page in a book. Then he composed himself. "(Name)?"

"I'm in love with you, Hanazawa Rui." Now that the words were out, more came rushing from your lips. "I wasn't sure at first, but as the days went by, I realized that I didn't like Doumyoji. I wanted you so bad. Every time you came around, I wanted to hug you, and to touch you…I wanted to kiss you." You bit your lip. "I thought I was crazy, so I kept it hidden, but now I know, Hanazawa Rui…."

He reached out and cupped your chin with his hand, raising it so that you were looking at him. "What if I said I'm in love with you? What would you do?" He was smiling gently.

"Then I would kiss you," you said softly, barely breathing the words. "I would kiss you, Hanazawa Rui."

"You can call me Rui." Then he came forward and did what you'd wanted for so long. He pressed his lips against yours'.

The kiss started out gentle and sweet, like Hanazawa himself. You closed your eyes, feeling bliss spreading over you and soon it became hard to control. You gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him on top of you, kissing him harder now. His tongue sought entrance into your mouth, and you granted it, and his tongue mapped out every inch. Your fingers rested on his shoulders, his broad shoulders, as he slid a hand under the hem of your sundress and you gasped, it was cold. Now the kiss was needy and lustful, and you moaned as Hanazawa's fingers worked their way up to your bra, stopping there for a second. You were pressing your body to his, trying to get as close as you could.

Hanazawa broke the kiss and you lay there, getting some air. He brushed your hair aside, revealing your neck, and then lowered his mouth to that sensitive spot where your neck met your shoulder. You moaned, leaning your head back so he had more access to that spot.

"Rui," you whispered, running your hands over the muscles in his back. You loved saying his name. "Rui…oh, God, Rui…"

His fingers started with the clasp of your bra and it soon became undone. Then he brought his hand back out and slid the sundress off from your shoulders, kissing your mouth with a fiery passion. You wrapped your legs around his waist, moaning his name, letting him take over your body…

"What the hell are you two doing?"

The angry shout stopped you. You froze, because you knew that voice and guilt spread over your body, replacing the desire that had been in your veins. Hanazawa let out a soft sigh, and then he sat up, looking over at the entrance of the gates.

Doumyoji was there. He had a horrible look on his face, and his eyes darkened when he saw you. Slowly, he crossed his hands over his chest, waiting for an explanation. Betrayal was written onto his face.

You quickly sat up, the dress falling from your shoulders, followed by your bra. You couldn't clasp your bra in front of him, so you grabbed the blanket and covered yourself with it.

Hanazawa stood and walked over to where Doumyoji was. He tried to make his voice as light as possible. "Hey, Tsukasa, it's nice to see you—"

Doumyoji flung a fist at his face.

Hanazawa moved his head, and the punch skimmed his cheek. Then he followed with a punch of his own, hitting Doumyoji right in the mouth. The curly-haired boy reeled back.

"What the hell were you doing? I figured you'd be here, but when I came, I find you kissing my girl! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Doumyoji was yelling, even though his lips were bruised from Hanazawa's hit.

Hanazawa rubbed his cheek. Then he faced his friend with a glint in his eyes. "I'm sorry to tell you, Tsukasa, but (Name)'s no longer your girl anymore," he said. "She's in love with me."

"You bastard!" Doumyoji went to punch him again, but the brunette saw it coming and blocked it.

"Don't be surprised. You knew it all along, didn't you? You knew she loved me. You just wouldn't admit it." Hanazawa grinned sardonically. "Next time you think about hitting me, you might want to reconsider."

Doumyoji spat something and then looked over Hanazawa's shoulder at you. You cringed, recoiling back at the hatred in his eyes. "Is this true, (Name)? You've been pretending this whole time?"

Your mouth was dry and you didn't know what to say, but your silence would only upset Doumyoji even more, so you started, "I wasn't pretending, I…"

His eyes were like pits. They were completely black. Then he turned away, a hand on his bruised mouth. "Whatever," he muttered, loudly enough that you heard him. "Have fun. I hope you enjoy having sex with Rui." Then he looked up at Hanazawa and said, "Damn you," before walking away. He'd taken three strides and then he broke out into a run, and he quickly disappeared from sight.

Your heart broke as he left. You hadn't loved him as he'd loved you, but that didn't stop the guilt and pain you felt now. Tears pooled into your eyes. "I'm so sorry," you whispered.

Hanazawa came back over to you. He sat down, looking at you for a moment. "(Name)…" he said softly. "Don't feel bad. Tsukasa already knew…"

"But that doesn't change anything," you replied, as tears starting pouring down your cheeks. A sob wracked your body and you buried your face into the blanket.

Hanazawa rubbed the back of his neck, exhaling heavily. Then he gathered you into his arms and held you against his chest. You didn't care as he took the blanket from your body; you just pressed your face into his shoulder and let him soak up all your misery.

"It's okay," he murmured, gently massaging your bare back. "It's okay, (Name)."

"Oh, Rui," you sobbed, and he held you as you cried.

After a while, you became silent and you stopped crying. Hanazawa looked down at you. You'd fallen asleep in his arms, weary from crying yourself out. It didn't matter that you had no top on; it didn't matter that it was a bit chilly out here; you had fallen asleep and you looked so vulnerable.

Hanazawa smiled. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss onto your lips, and in your sleep, you sighed, feeling content.


	10. Saying Goodbye

The day had finally arrived. The day you'd been dreading. You knew your heart would be broken once it came. But that didn't stop the sun from rising this morning. No—if anything, the sun actually rose faster than usual.

It was time for you and your family to go back.

"(Name)." Your mother poked her head into your room. "Are you almost finished, dear?"

You nodded. You'd been zipping up your big suitcase, and now you lugged it down from your bed onto the carpet. "I'm done," you replied.

Mother stepped inside and she walked towards you. "I know you don't want to go back," she said softly, smiling a sad smile. "But school's going to be starting soon. We'll be back here next summer."

By then, everything might've changed. "I should just go to Eitoku," you murmured. Then you shook your head. "No, it's okay. I'll be down in a second."

Just then, your cell phone vibrated deep in your pocket, and you pulled it down, puzzled. It was a text from Maiko, telling you to meet her at the beach parking lot.

Mother read it over your shoulder. You turned towards her hopefully, your eyes shining. "May I go? Please?"

She sighed. "All right. But we're leaving at three, okay? Be back by then."

You thanked her and then shooed her out of the room so you could change out of your pajamas. You threw on a red plaid shirt over your camisole, leaving the first three buttons undone, and you shimmied into tiny cutoff shorts. Then you grabbed your day bag and ran out the door.

About fifteen minutes later, you arrived at the beach. You walked around the parking lot, scanning it for your friend, and you saw her sitting at a park bench on the sand nearby, keeping four gorgeous males as her company. She looked up as you walked towards them, and a smile burst onto her face. "(Name)!" she squealed, running over to hug you tightly.

"Hey," you managed, as she was crushing you to the bosom of her bikini top. Then you smiled at the boys. "And F4. Hello."

"Don't be surprised that we're here," Nishikado said. "You should be used to us showing up wherever you are, (Name)."

That was true. You had expected them to be here. You smiled, looking from his face to Mimasaka's to Hanazawa's. And then your eyes jumped onto the last boy's face.

Doumyoji was staring at you, his dark eyes hooded. His expression was carefully blank, and you knew why. You were sure the others knew why as well. Then he turned away.

The action was oddly cold, and you felt a pang in your heart. But you ignored it, instead sitting down at the table, next to Hanazawa.

For a while, the six of you chatted about life. Well, it was more the five of you talked. Doumyoji didn't say anything. He just grunted here and there. The boys talked about school, how they were sort of happy to be returning to Eitoku but at the same time, they wished summer was longer.

"Ain't that the truth," you sighed. "I'd love to go to Eitoku. This way, I could be with you guys every single day."

"It's pretty expensive, though, (Name)," Mimasaka reminded you. "Us four got in because, well, we're pretty rich."

"I see them frequently because my academy is nearby," said Maiko.

"Lucky. My current school is horrible. It's all cliques and groupies and everything. If you're not popular, you're a nobody." You rolled your eyes. "Compared to that, Eitoku doesn't sound too bad."

Nishikado thought for a moment, his fingers drumming out patterns onto the table. "You know, we could pay for your tuition," he said.

You shook your head. "Oh, no, please don't," you declined. "I'd feel so bad if you did. If I want to get into Eitoku, I'll do it with my own money."

"It's a lot of money," Hanazawa said. His voice was gentle, as was his hand as it held yours', the fingers intertwined together. You glanced at him and smiled.

Then the conversation was launched into memories and past events, and then Mimasaka and Nishikado went to go get some food from the sandbar and they came back with a real feast. The group dug in, and the atmosphere was pleasant. It was just perfect.

Finally, the time came around. It was two-thirty, and you had to get back or your parents would kill you. As you stood up, tears suddenly filled your eyes. "Oh, gosh," you said softly, swiping at them. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but…"

Maiko was the first to give you a hug. She reached out and brushed aside your bangs. "You have to call me from time to time, okay?" she said. "And maybe my parents can convince yours' to visit for winter break."

Nishikado was next. He swept you into a bone-crushing hug, lifting you off your feet. You squeaked in surprise, and he chuckled. "You'd better come for winter break," he said. "That's the time I'm usually free. So that way, I can spend more time with you."

"You're free during winter? But I thought…"

"Everyone's in a relationship by then. So the girls don't want to cheat on their guys and they usually stay together until after New Years'." A wicked gleam flashed in his eyes. "But after New Years', I'm busy again, making love to every girl in the city." He laughed as you blushed, and then he kissed you. "Maybe you and I could get together….kidding! I'm kidding!"

You shook your head, smiling, and then Mimasaka embraced you. He had some words to say to you, "You know, (Name), I've been thinking about what you told me. You were right. I am the balance of the F4. These guys are so childish, it's ridiculous. But then again, these guys are my best friends, and I would give anything to be with them." He spoke softly into your ear, his arms strong around you.

You hugged him back. "Mimasaka, I've always thought of you as my brother. You're so mature and everything. So stay that way, alright?" He nodded, smiling, and kissed your cheek before stepping back.

Hanazawa was still sitting down at the table, finishing a cup of tea. He chugged the rest of it down his throat and then stood up, wiping his mouth hastily. Then he reached out towards you and pulled you to his chest.

"You and I are going to get together sometime," he said. "Don't you forget that."

That was all he had to say to you, not surprisingly, and he tilted your chin up to kiss you passionately. The kiss left you dizzy and winded when he finally let you go.

Then there was just one more boy you had to say goodbye to. He was leaning against the table, his arms crossed in front of him. You started towards him. "Doumyoji…"

"Don't think you're going to get a hug from me," he said. "Not after what you did to me."

His tone was icy and you felt as though you were slapped. You stood there, stunned, staring at him.

For a long moment, he didn't do anything. Then Doumyoji sighed and went to you, awkwardly putting his arms around you. "I didn't mean that," he muttered into your hair. "I'm just…"

"I know. I'm so sorry, Doumyoji, I really am." You buried your head against his chest, inhaling his scent. "I was in love with you for a while…"

"That's not enough." Then he abruptly moved back, leaving you standing there.

You picked up your day bag and slung it over your shoulder. Then you turned to face everyone, smiling sadly, your eyes pooling with tears once again. "I'll miss all of you," you said. "I really will."

They all said words of encouragement and farewell, with the promise of seeing them once again behind them. Then you waved at them, turned, and started walking across the parking lot.

"(Name)!"

You looked over your shoulder. Hanazawa had his hands cupped over his mouth and he shouted, "If I had a rose for every time I thought of you, I'd be walking in a garden forever!"

A smile came to your lips, and you reached up to brush away a tear that escaped down your cheek. You'd love these guys forever. You'd see them again. It was all good.

And next time you met, Hanazawa would have more corny lines waiting for you.


End file.
